System interconnect for integrated circuits

ABSTRACT

An electronic device for transmitting data is described herein. In some examples, the electronic device includes a package substrate, and a plurality of integrated circuits to be coupled to the package substrate, at least one integrated circuit comprising a topside connector or an edge connector to be coupled to a cable that is to couple to a cable receptacle.

BACKGROUND

Field

This disclosure relates generally to system interconnects, and morespecifically, but not exclusively, to a system interconnect thattransmits data using a cable attached from a packaged ASIC, such as acomputer or router device, to a cabled receptacle.

Description

Computing devices continue to increase the speed at which data istransmitted. In some embodiments, computing devices can transmit databetween any suitable number of integrated circuits and components usingvarious system interconnects, such as a universal serial bus, amongothers. In some examples, computing devices can also transmit data toadditional computing devices through various types of connectors andtransceivers such as low insertion force connectors, zero insertionforce connectors, and card edge connectors. These card edge connectorsmay include those commonly used for PCI Express, quad small form-factorpluggable transceivers (also referred to herein as QSFP), and CXP, amongothers. Some connectors may optionally mount active transceiver modules,most commonly supporting optical data communication, within theconnector body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description may be better understood byreferencing the accompanying drawings, which contain specific examplesof numerous features of the disclosed subject matter.

FIG. 1 depicts an example block diagram of a computing device that cantransmit data through a topside connector coupled to a cable receptacle;

FIG. 2 is an example block diagram of a computing device that cantransmit data between a topside connection for an integrated circuit anda cable receptacle;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a double ended cable receptacle; and

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example system that includes a cablereceptacle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The enterprise computing ecosystem has grown exponentially as the growthof data needs and computing systems, such as mobile devices, haveincreased their demand on servers. In some examples, computing systemsare requested to transmit data through a switch fabric link that is ableto operate at speeds of up to, and potentially beyond, 100 gigatransfersper second (GT/s). Unfortunately, current passive cable and connectorinterconnect solutions impose physical limitations on maximum board andcable routing lengths. For conventional channel routing, much of thetotal link loss budget, which can be perhaps 30 dB, may be consumedbefore the signal reaches an edge of a printed circuit board in a singlechassis, precluding external cabled connections to similar, separatechassis. Much of this channel loss is incurred transiting from anintegrated circuit through electrical connections within the relativelyhigh-loss package substrate, socket, and printed circuit baseboard.These conventional routes typically sustain appreciablechannel-to-channel crosstalk, as well.

According to embodiments of the subject matter discussed herein, acomputing device can transmit data using a cable that attaches the topof a packaged ASIC (also referred to herein as an integrated circuit)directly to a cable receptacle. In some embodiments, the integratedcircuit can include a processor, dedicated I/O silicon in a multichippackage, and the like. The cable receptacle, as referred to herein, caninclude any suitable electrical coupling device that can accept aconnector or transceiver, such as the quad small form-factor pluggable(also referred to herein as QSFP) transceiver, among others. In someembodiments, data can be transmitted directly between an integratedcircuit and a cable receptacle without adding the complexity, power, andcost of an electrical repeater. For example, a cable that transmits databetween an ASIC/topside connector over a cable to a cable receptaclewill eliminate many of the board losses incurred in a traditionalchannel. A package substrate or printed circuit board, as referred toherein, can include any suitable non-conductive substrate that canelectrically connect any suitable number of components using tracks,pads, and other electrical features. A cable that transmits data betweenan integrated circuit and a cable receptacle without transmitting anelectrical signal through the package substrate, a socket, and printedcircuit board may experience less data corruption. In some examples, thecable that transmits data directly between an integrated circuit and acable receptacle can transmit data across farther distances within acomputing device or a router platform.

In some embodiments, the cable receptacle can be modified to be adouble-ended cable receptacle that can connect to at least two packagesubstrates through appropriate cabling. In some embodiments, the cablereceptacle can be modified to be a double-ended, pass-thru cablereceptacle that can couple signals from at least two packagedapplication specific integrated circuits (also referred to herein asASICs), including ASICs that reside in separate chassis. In someexamples, the double-ended cable receptacle can also include anysuitable number of sideband signals, and power signals, among others.

FIG. 1 depicts an example block diagram of a computing device that cantransmit data through a topside connector coupled to a cable receptacle.The computing device 100 can be any suitable device such as a hand-heldphone, smartphone, tablet, ultra-thin notebook, notebook with broadbandadapter, or any other computing device. In some examples, the computingdevice 100 can connect to a base station or node, which can correspondto a mobile station (MS) in a GSM network, among others.

In some embodiments, the computing device 100 can include any suitablenumber of integrated circuits, such as processors or cores 102 and 104.In some examples, the integrated circuits 102 and 104 may be processorsor cores that execute instructions that conform to any suitableInstruction Set Architecture, such as an Intel® Architecture Core™ basedprocessor, an Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) processor, a MIPS-basedprocessor, an ARM-based processor design, or a customer thereof, as wellas their licensees or adopters. In some embodiments, integrated circuits102 and 104 are coupled to a cache control 106 that can transmit datausing the bus interface unit 108 and L2 cache 110. In some examples, aninterconnect 112 includes an on-chip interconnect, such as an advancedmicrocontroller bus architecture (AMBA), or other suitable interconnect,which can implement one or more aspects of the described techniques.

The interconnect 112 can provide communication channels to othercomponents in the computing device 100. In some embodiments, the othercomponents can include a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) 114 tointerface with a SIM card, a boot ROM 116 to store boot code forexecution by cores 102 and 104 to initialize and boot the computingdevice 100, a SDRAM controller 118 to interface with external memory(e.g. DRAM 120), a flash controller 122 to interface with non-volatilememory (e.g. Flash 124), a peripheral control (also referred to hereinas PC) 126 (e.g. Serial Peripheral Interface) to interface withperipherals, video codecs 128 and video interface 130 to display andreceive input (e.g. touch enabled input), a GPU 132 to perform graphicsrelated computations, etc. Any of these components may incorporateaspects of the techniques described herein. In some embodiments, thevideo interface 130 can transmit data to a display device 134 using anysuitable protocol or interface such as a MIPI® interface 136 or an HDMIinterface 138. The computing device 100 can also electrically couple toa power control 140 that can provide power using any suitable technique.In addition, the computing device 100 can transmit data between theperipheral control 126 and any suitable number of additionalperipherals, such as a Bluetooth module 142, 3G modem 144, GPS 146, andWiFi 148. Furthermore, the computing device 100 may also include a radiofor communication. In some examples, the computing device 100 mayinclude any suitable combination of the peripheral communication modulesdiscussed above.

In some embodiments, the computing device 100 can also include a networkinterface controller (also referred to herein as a NIC) 150 or an agent152. An agent, as referred to herein, can include a network interfacecontroller, switch fabric silicon, and the like. The NIC 150 and theagent 152 can include topside connectors 154 and 156. The topsideconnectors 154 and 156 can transmit data to any suitable component orcomputing device through a cable 158 or 160 such as a multi-conductorflex cable, a coaxial cable, or a twin-axial cable, among others and acable receptacle 162. In some examples, the cable receptacle 162 canattached to cables 158 or 160 that have a QSFP connector, a LIFconnector, or a ZIF connector, among others. In some embodiments, thecable receptacle 162 transmits data between components or computingdevices and the NIC 150 and agent 152. The cable receptacle 162 isdescribed in greater detail below in relation to FIG. 2. As discussedabove, cables 158 or 160 that connect topside connectors 154 or 156 anda cable receptacle 162 may not reside in a package substrate 164 of acomputing device 100. Rather, the package substrate 164 may electricallycouple the peripheral components and the NIC 150 and agent 154. Thepackage substrate 164 may also include any suitable number of signallines that can transmit data such as the interconnect 112, among others.In some embodiments, the NIC 150 or agent 152 can electrically couple toa cable 158 or 160 through an edge connector.

FIG. 2 is an example block diagram of a computing device that cantransmit data between a topside connector for an integrated circuit anda cable receptacle. In some examples, the computing device 200 caninclude a baseboard (also referred to herein as a baseboard printedcircuit board) 202. The baseboard 202 can include any suitable number ofelectrical features that connect any suitable number of electricalcomponents. In some embodiments, an integrated circuit 164, such as aprocessor, among others, can be coupled to a packaged ASIC 164. In someexamples, the integrated circuit 204 can couple to the packaged ASIC 164through solder bumps, solder balls, or wire bonding, or a low insertionforce connector, among others. The packaged ASIC 164 can include atopside connector 206 that attaches to a flexible cable 208, whichconnects the integrated circuit 204 to a cable receptacle 210. In someexamples, the topside connector 206 can include any suitable number ofports that transmit data through interconnects such as the Intel® QuickPath Interconnect (QPI). In some embodiments, the flexible cable 208 canbe a micro-coaxial cable, a twin-axial cable, or a multi-conductorcable, among others. In some examples, the flexible cable 208 caninclude a flexible printed circuit that is made of polyimide or liquidcrystal polymer (LCP), among others. The flexible cable 208 can transmitdata by carrying electrical signals between the processor 204 and thecable receptacle 210. In some examples, the cable receptacle 210 can bea double-ended cable receptacle, a QSFP cable receptacle, or a CXP cablereceptacle, among others. The double-ended cable receptacle is discussedfurther below in relation to FIG. 3.

In one embodiment, the cable receptacle may be disposed directly on thebaseboard 202. Alternatively, the cable receptacle may also be mountedseparate from the baseboard, to a chassis panel 212, for example. Insome examples, the chassis panel 212 may be a printed circuit board. Inone embodiment, the power and sideband signals could be connectedseparately, though an additional flexible cable 214, for example.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a double ended cable receptacle. In someembodiments, the double ended cable receptacle 302 can include anysuitable number of wires 304 connected to a transition board (alsoreferred to herein as a paddle board) 306. In some examples, the doubleended cable receptacle 302 can connect two transition boards 306 and308. For example, each side of the cable receptacle 302 may enableinsertion of transition boards 306 and 308 with attached wires 304 and310. In some embodiments, the attached wires 304 and 310 may terminatedirectly onto the transitions boards 306 and 308. The edge of eachtransition board 306 and 308 may be compatible with any suitableconnector, such as a CXP or QSFP connector, among others, and may nothave identical geometry at each port. While FIG. 3 shows the transitionboards 306 and 308 as collinear, in some embodiments, the transitionboards may meet the receptacle 302 at another angle, such as 90 degrees,among others, with respect to one another. The cable receptacle 302 maytransmit data between transition boards 306 and 308 using any suitablenumber of signal lines. In some embodiments, the connector may be housedin a rigid shell that facilitates alignment of the mating interface,dissipates heat, or provides electromagnetic shielding. The double endedcable receptacle 302 can also include additional wires 312 that carrypower signals and sideband signals, among others. The power signals andsideband signals may be generated by a platform management chip, a powersupply, or an integrated circuit, among others. In some embodiments, theadditional wires 312 can transmit a signal that indicates the presenceof a device, and the like. The power and sideband signals 312 may exitthe connector through a direct connection to a rigid printed circuitboard (PCB), or by means of a detachable flexible cable. In someembodiments, the power and sideband signals 312 transmit data through asideband opening 314 that may reside at the bottom of the double-endedcable receptacle, the top of the double-ended cable receptacle, or anyother suitable portion of the double-ended cable receptacle.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example system that includes a cablereceptacle. In some embodiments, the system (also referred to herein asa backplane enclosure) 400 can include any suitable number of bladepackage substrates 402 and 404 electrically coupled to a backplaneprinted circuit board 406. In some examples, each blade packagesubstrate 402 and 404 can include an integrated circuit 408 and 410 thattransmits data to a cable receptacle 412 or 414 through any suitablecable 416 or 418 connected to the topside of an integrated circuit 408or 410. In some embodiments, a cable 416 or 418 can be a twin-axialcable, a coaxial cable, or a flex cable, among others. The cable 416 or418 may also connect to a cable receptacle 412 or 414 through a modifiedconnector. For example, a cable 416 or 418 may electrically couple to acable receptacle 412 or 414 though any suitable connector such as a QSFPconnector, ZIF connector, LIF connector, and the like. In someembodiments, a cable 416 or 418 may be coupled to a cable receptacle 412or 414 through a paddle board (also referred to herein as a transitionboard), a LIF connector, and a QSFP connector. In some examples, thecable receptacle 412 or 414 can transmit data to switch fabric silicon420, or any other suitable integrated circuit.

In some embodiments, an integrated circuit 408 may transmit data toswitch fabric silicon 420 that is electrically coupled to a routerpackage substrate 422. In some examples, data may be transmitted throughthe blade package substrate 404 rather than through the cable 418.Furthermore, the backplane printed circuit board 406 may include anysuitable number of cable receptacles 412 and 414 that connect to anysuitable number of router package substrates 422 through backplaneconnectors or cable receptacles 424 and 426.

In some embodiments, the integrated circuits 408 and 410 may nottransmit data to switch fabric silicon 420 through a backplane printedcircuit board 406. Rather, the integrated circuits 408 and 410 maytransmit data to cable receptacles 412 and 414. The cable receptacles412 and 414 may transmit data to cable receptacles 424 and 426 throughany suitable network cable, such as coaxial cables, optical fibercables, and twisted pair cables, among others. Furthermore, in someembodiments, the integrated circuits 408 and 410 can transmit datathrough cable receptacles 412 and 414 to switch fabric silicon mountedto the backplane printed circuit board 406. The system 400 may notinclude a repeater to transmit data between the integrated circuits 408and 410 and switch fabric silicon 420.

EXAMPLE 1

An electronic device that can transmit data is described herein. In someembodiments, the electronic device includes a package substrate and aplurality of integrated circuits to be coupled to the package substrate,at least one integrated circuit comprising a topside connector or anedge connector to be coupled to a cable that is to couple to a cablereceptacle.

In some embodiments, the package substrate does not include the cable.In addition, the cable receptacle may transmit the data to switch fabricsilicon. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cable is one of a coaxialcable, a micro-coaxial cable, twin-axial cable, or a flexible printedcircuit.

EXAMPLE 2

An electronic device that can transmit data is described herein. In someembodiments, the electronic device includes an integrated circuit to becoupled to the package substrate, the integrated circuit to have atopside connector to be coupled to a cable. The electronic device canalso include a double-ended cable receptacle that is to electricallycouple to at least two connectors that transmit the data from a firstagent to a second agent.

In some embodiments, the double-ended cable receptacle transmits thedata from the first agent to the second agent using signal lines.Additionally, the connector may be a network interface connectorintegrated into the cable in some embodiments. The connector can also bea network interface connecter that attaches to the cable through one ofa low insertion force connector and a land grid array. In someembodiments, the connector comprises a transition board and a lowinsertion force connector or a quad small form-factor pluggableconnector.

EXAMPLE 3

A system that can transmit data is described herein. In someembodiments, the system includes an integrated circuit to be coupled toa first package substrate, the integrated circuit to have a topsideconnector to be coupled to a cable and a double-ended cable receptaclethat transmits the data from the first package substrate to a secondpackage substrate. The system also includes a backplane printed circuitboard comprising switch fabric silicon.

In some embodiments, the double-ended cable receptacle resides withinthe backplane printed circuit board. In some embodiments, thedouble-ended cable receptacle enables data transmission between theintegrated circuit and switch fabric silicon without a repeater.Additionally, the double-ended cable receptacle may include a sidebandsignal that transmits data through a sideband opening.

While the present techniques have been described with respect to alimited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciatenumerous modifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that theappended claims cover all such modifications and variations as fallwithin the true spirit and scope of this present techniques.

A design may go through various stages, from creation to simulation tofabrication. Data representing a design may represent the design in anumber of manners. First, as is useful in simulations, the hardware maybe represented using a hardware description language or anotherfunctional description language. Additionally, a circuit level modelwith logic and/or transistor gates may be produced at some stages of thedesign process. Furthermore, most designs, at some stage, reach a levelof data representing the physical placement of various devices in thehardware model. In the case where conventional semiconductor fabricationtechniques are used, the data representing the hardware model may be thedata specifying the presence or absence of various features on differentmask layers for masks used to produce the integrated circuit. In anyrepresentation of the design, the data may be stored in any form of amachine readable medium. A memory or a magnetic or optical storage suchas a disc may be the machine readable medium to store informationtransmitted via optical or electrical wave modulated or otherwisegenerated to transmit such information. When an electrical carrier waveindicating or carrying the code or design is transmitted, to the extentthat copying, buffering, or re-transmission of the electrical signal isperformed, a new copy is made. Thus, a communication provider or anetwork provider may store on a tangible, machine-readable medium, atleast temporarily, an article, such as information encoded into acarrier wave, embodying techniques of embodiments of the presenttechniques.

A module as used herein refers to any combination of hardware, software,and/or firmware. As an example, a module includes hardware, such as amicro-controller, associated with a non-transitory medium to store codeadapted to be executed by the microcontroller. Therefore, reference to amodule, in one embodiment, refers to the hardware, which is specificallyconfigured to recognize and/or execute the code to be held on anon-transitory medium. Furthermore, in another embodiment, use of amodule refers to the non-transitory medium including the code, which isspecifically adapted to be executed by the microcontroller to performpredetermined operations. And as can be inferred, in yet anotherembodiment, the term module (in this example) may refer to thecombination of the microcontroller and the non-transitory medium. Oftenmodule boundaries that are illustrated as separate commonly vary andpotentially overlap. For example, a first and a second module may sharehardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof, whilepotentially retaining some independent hardware, software, or firmware.In one embodiment, use of the term logic includes hardware, such astransistors, registers, or other hardware, such as programmable logicdevices.

Use of the phrase ‘configured to,’ in one embodiment, refers toarranging, putting together, manufacturing, offering to sell, importingand/or designing an apparatus, hardware, logic, or element to perform adesignated or determined task. In this example, an apparatus or elementthereof that is not operating is still ‘configured to’ perform adesignated task if it is designed, coupled, and/or interconnected toperform said designated task. As a purely illustrative example, a logicgate may provide a 0 or a 1 during operation. But a logic gate‘configured to’ provide an enable signal to a clock does not includeevery potential logic gate that may provide a 1 or 0. Instead, the logicgate is one coupled in some manner that during operation the 1 or 0output is to enable the clock. Note once again that use of the term‘configured to’ does not require operation, but instead focus on thelatent state of an apparatus, hardware, and/or element, where in thelatent state the apparatus, hardware, and/or element is designed toperform a particular task when the apparatus, hardware, and/or elementis operating.

Furthermore, use of the phrases ‘to,’ ‘capable of/to,’ and or ‘operableto,’ in one embodiment, refers to some apparatus, logic, hardware,and/or element designed in such a way to enable use of the apparatus,logic, hardware, and/or element in a specified manner. Note as abovethat use of to, capable to, or operable to, in one embodiment, refers tothe latent state of an apparatus, logic, hardware, and/or element, wherethe apparatus, logic, hardware, and/or element is not operating but isdesigned in such a manner to enable use of an apparatus in a specifiedmanner.

A value, as used herein, includes any known representation of a number,a state, a logical state, or a binary logical state. Often, the use oflogic levels, logic values, or logical values is also referred to as 1'sand 0's, which simply represents binary logic states. For example, a 1refers to a high logic level and 0 refers to a low logic level. In oneembodiment, a storage cell, such as a transistor or flash cell, may becapable of holding a single logical value or multiple logical values.However, other representations of values in computer systems have beenused. For example the decimal number ten may also be represented as abinary value of 1010 and a hexadecimal letter A. Therefore, a valueincludes any representation of information capable of being held in acomputer system.

Moreover, states may be represented by values or portions of values. Asan example, a first value, such as a logical one, may represent adefault or initial state, while a second value, such as a logical zero,may represent a non-default state. In addition, the terms reset and set,in one embodiment, refer to a default and an updated value or state,respectively. For example, a default value potentially includes a highlogical value, i.e. reset, while an updated value potentially includes alow logical value, i.e. set. Note that any combination of values may beutilized to represent any number of states.

The embodiments of methods, hardware, software, firmware or code setforth above may be implemented via instructions or code stored on amachine-accessible, machine readable, computer accessible, or computerreadable medium which are executable by a processing element. Anon-transitory machine-accessible/readable medium includes any mechanismthat provides (i.e., stores and/or transmits) information in a formreadable by a machine, such as a computer or electronic system. Forexample, a non-transitory machine accessible medium includesrandom-access memory (RAM), such as static RAM (SRAM) or dynamic RAM(DRAM); ROM; magnetic or optical storage medium; flash memory devices;electrical storage devices; optical storage devices; acoustical storagedevices; other form of storage devices for holding information receivedfrom transitory (propagated) signals (e.g., carrier waves, infraredsignals, digital signals); etc., which are to be distinguished from thenon-transitory mediums that may receive information there from.

Instructions used to program logic to perform embodiments describedherein may be stored within a memory in the system, such as DRAM, cache,flash memory, or other storage. Furthermore, the instructions can bedistributed via a network or by way of other computer readable media.Thus a machine-readable medium may include any mechanism for storing ortransmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., acomputer), but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, optical disks,Compact Disc, Read-Only Memory (CD-ROMs), and magneto-optical disks,Read-Only Memory (ROMs), Random Access Memory (RAM), ErasableProgrammable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically ErasableProgrammable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), magnetic or optical cards, flashmemory, or a tangible, machine-readable storage used in the transmissionof information over the Internet via electrical, optical, acoustical orother forms of propagated signals (e.g., carrier waves, infraredsignals, digital signals, etc.). Accordingly, the computer-readablemedium includes any type of tangible machine-readable medium suitablefor storing or transmitting electronic instructions or information in aform readable by a machine (e.g., a computer).

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the embodiment is includedin at least one embodiment of the present techniques. Thus, theappearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” invarious places throughout this specification are not necessarily allreferring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features,structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner inone or more embodiments.

In the foregoing specification, a detailed description has been givenwith reference to specific exemplary embodiments. It will, however, beevident that various modifications and changes may be made theretowithout departing from the broader spirit and scope of the techniques asset forth in the appended claims. The specification and drawings are,accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than arestrictive sense. Furthermore, the foregoing use of embodiment andother exemplarily language does not necessarily refer to the sameembodiment or the same example, but may refer to different and distinctembodiments, as well as potentially the same embodiment.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device to transmit data comprising:a package substrate; and a plurality of integrated circuits coupled tothe package substrate, at least one integrated circuit comprising atopside connector coupled to a cable receptacle via a first cable, thecable receptacle also coupled to a printed circuit board via a secondcable separate from the first cable, the second cable receiving asideband signal from the printed circuit board, wherein the at least oneintegrated circuit is connected to a backplane connector through thecable receptacle, and wherein a backplane package substrate enables datatransmission between the at least one integrated circuit and a switchfabric silicon without a repeater.
 2. The electronic device of claim 1,wherein the package substrate does not include the first cable.
 3. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the cable receptacle transmitsdata to a switch fabric silicon.
 4. The electronic device of claim 1,wherein the first cable is one of a coaxial cable, a micro-coaxialcable, twin-axial cable, or a flexible printed circuit.
 5. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the cable receptacle is a CXPcable receptacle.
 6. An electronic device to transmit data comprising:an integrated circuit coupled to a package substrate, the integratedcircuit having a topside connector coupled to a first cable; and adouble-ended cable receptacle that is electrically coupled to the firstcable from the topside connector and a second cable separate from thefirst cable that is electrically coupled to a chassis panel comprising aprinted circuit board, the second cable receiving a sideband signal fromthe printed circuit board, wherein the integrated circuit is connectedto a backplane connector through the double-ended cable receptacle, andwherein a backplane package substrate enables data transmission betweenthe integrated circuit and a switch fabric silicon without a repeater.7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the double-ended cablereceptacle transmits the data from the integrated circuit to the printedcircuit board.
 8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the topsideconnector is a network interface connector integrated into the firstcable.
 9. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the topsideconnector is a network interface connector that attaches to the firstcable through one of a low insertion force connector and a land gridarray.
 10. A system to transmit data comprising: an integrated circuitcoupled to a first package substrate, the integrated circuit to have atopside connector coupled to a first cable; a double-ended cablereceptacle coupled to the first cable that is to transmit the data fromthe topside connector of the integrated circuit of the first packagesubstrate to a chassis panel comprising a printed circuit board, thedouble-ended cable receptacle also coupled to a second cable separatefrom the first cable, the second cable receiving a sideband signal fromthe printed circuit board; and a backplane printed circuit boardcomprising a switch fabric silicon, wherein the integrated circuit isconnected to a backplane connector through the double-ended cablereceptacle, and wherein the backplane printed circuit board enables datatransmission between the integrated circuit and the switch fabricsilicon without a repeater.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein thedouble-ended cable receptacle resides within the backplane printedcircuit board.
 12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first packagesubstrate does not include the first cable.
 13. The system of claim 10,wherein the double-ended cable receptacle transmits data to the switchfabric silicon.
 14. The system of claim 10, wherein the first cable isone of a coaxial cable, a micro-coaxial cable, a twin-axial cable, or aflexible printed circuit board cable.
 15. The system of claim 10,wherein the first cable comprises a connector, wherein the connector isa quad small form-factor pluggable connector.